Butterflys and Turtles

I didn't want to walk let alone run and it was hot,but there I was driving down A1A in the middle of the day knowing I needed to. So I made a u turn and headed back to the park entrance and began gathering myself for drudgery. Life in limbo as an unfit soul sucks on days like that but as a friend said those are the days when the run feels so worth the challenge.

I reached under the seat for my surf shoes, on a good day I love wearing them especially the feel of mesh and the cushioned soles keeping lots of sand away from my toes. I don't like grit and never wear saddles I can deal with the limited amount of sand that gets through these shoe. Still it was hot enough to fry fish without the grease and I have 3 feet worth of thick dreads to tug along with me.

Making my way to the beach which is a protected area for turtles in season, I thought about the long struggle of terrapins as they hatch, head out to sea for a few years and return to the same beach to lay eggs. Surly my twenty minute struggle could not compare yet I felt like kicking back and enjoying the ocean breeze instead of the jog. A tropical storm was brewing somewhere off the coast making the tide rough in fact I think it was yellow flagged, I know the ripe tide was a dog . Only the surfers were happy, so I ignored the usual white flight that black folk see when entering the beach or any other place they don't see a lot of us. I walked right pass the the couple who took one look at me and left the boardwalk and the lifeguard who kept looking until the sheriff mysteriously showed up . hey no crime in being on the beach. I smiled at an older brother who walked passed me with a work hard pray harder t shirt on, they stared at him too but we knew the deal and were getting our walk on anyway. It felt good to see another natural brown face too. Can someone explain to me the psychology of laying on the beach to turn brown like me but hating on the naturally tan person, just asking.

Anyway I started slow moving away from the surfs edge only walking on hard sand and then it happened. The water called me I ran closer to the the edge until I found myself fighting the tide and sinking in sand while trying to keep pace. I had to feel the salt water as my mind was on the day I would start practicing the open water swim. I kept imagining all the tri's I have watched, bodies hurling through the water a massive frenzied battle back to the beach. As I continued I noticed a butterfly, monarch I think, same coloring but maybe not it flew around me back and forth from the dunes to the ocean and I thought how awesome is God. What the heck is my mascot the butterfly doing here. On a day when I don't want to move this little winged package of freedom inspires me to keep on going. I loved it, I made it maybe a half mile up the beach and back not my normal two but for the heat of the day I felt good. You know that friend was right I felt great and so relaxed afterwards I was sorry I had not gone the extra mile. When I say next time I mean it, my journey would be so lonely but thank you Lordy I live in a state that has great beauty.